Shoe sole cleaner



May 8, 1962 Filed Aug. 22, 1960 J. B. STEVENS SHOE SOLE CLEANER 5Sheets-Sheet i INVENTOR James B. Szeuezzs ATTORNEYS May 8, 1962 FiledAug 22. 1960 SHOE SOLE CLEANER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 8, 1962 J. B.STEVENS SHOE sous CLEANER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 22, 1960 3,032,794SHOE SOLE CLEANER James B. Stevens, 444 Vine St., Modesto, Calif. FiledAug. 22, 1960, Ser. No. 51,189 1 Claim. (Cl. 15-36) The presentinvention is directed to, and it is a major object to provide, a novel,electric motor driven, shoe sole cleaner; the device being adapted foruse in lieu of the conventional door mat, and functions to rapidly andeffectively remove dust, dirt, or other debris from the under side ofshoes.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a shoe solecleaner which includes a rotary brush having an upper portion exposedfor engagement by the under side of a persons shoe; the brush beingmounted for downward yielding movement or depression, from a normallyraised position, when the wearer of the shoe steps on such brush, andthe electric drive motor for the brush being automatically placed inoperation by closing of a switch in response to such movement. Also, amanual switch is included so that the device-if desired-can be placed incontinuous operation and without the necessity of depression of saidrotary brush.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a shoe sole cleanerwhich includeswithin a housing-a novel mount for the rotary brush andthe electric drive motor; the housing having a top opening through whichthe upper portion of the brush extends so as to be accessible at alltimes fOr engagement by the under side of a shoe.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shoe sole cleanerwhich is designed for ease and economy of manufacture.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a practical, reliable,and durable shoe sole cleaner, and one which will be exceedinglyetfective for the purpose for which it designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claim.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the device. FIG. 2 is a bottom plan viewthereof; the wiring for the electric motor being omitted.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional elevation on line 33 of FIG. 2, but withthe device in floor engaging, working position.

FIG. 4 is a similar view on line 44 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional elevation on line 5-5 of FIG. 4, butwith the guard partly broken away; the view including the wiring for theelectric motor.

FIG. 6 is a perspective View of a modification of the device.

FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the same; the wiring for the electricmotor being omitted.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings and to the characters ofreference marked thereon, and at present to FIGS. 1-5 inclusive, thenovel, shoe sole cleaner comprises a relatively shallow box-likehousing, indicated generally at 1, which housing includes a top 2, sides3, a front 4, and a back 5.

At the bottom thereof the housing 1 includes-at the front and back, aswell as the sidesout-turned supporting flanges 6 adapted to rest on thefloor of a porch or the like; the flanges 6 at the side of the housingbeing provided with holes 7 whereby the device may be secured, by screwsor bolts, to the floor.

The top 2 includes a forwardly and downwardly sloping front portion 8having a transversely elongated rectangular opening 9 therein.

An elongated, cylindrical, transverse-axis, rotary brush 10 is disposedin the forward part of the housing 1 and in a position such that anupper portion of said brush 10 extends through and is exposed above theopening 9. The rotary brush 10 is supported, from within the housing 1,as follows:

A forwardly extending U-shaped swing frame, indi cated generally at 11,occupies a position in the housing 1 at a forward and upward incline;such swing frame 11 including a rear cross bar 12 and forwardlyextending side arms, indicated at 13 and 14.

At the rear ends of the side arms 13 and 14 the swing frame 11 ispivotally mounted in connection with the sides 3 of the housing, as byalined, transverse pivot bolts 15, whereby said frame is swingable aboutsuch bolts as an axis.

The rotary brush 10 includes a shaft 16 which projects from the ends ofsaid brush; the latter being disposed between the forward ends of theside arms 13 and 14, with the shaft 16 at its ends journaled oncorresponding ones of said arms, as at 17.

A horizontal, transverse axis, electric motor 18 is disposed immediatelyahead of the rear cross bar 12 and is secured to the latter by screws19. With the motor so mounted its shaft 20 is parallel to the rotarybrush shaft 16.

The rotary brush 10 is driven, from the electric motor 18, by a pulley21 on shaft 20; a pulley 22 on shaft 16; and an endless belt 23 trainedbetween such pulleys.

The swing frame 11, together with the rotary brush 10 as journaledthereon, is normally maintained in a raised position, but for downwardyielding movement or depression, by means of a tension spring 24connected between the side arm 14 and a point thereabove on thecorresponding side 3 of housing 1.

Upon depression of the rotary brush 10 by a shoe placed by a wearer onthe exposed portion of said brush, the frame 11 correspondingly swingsdown; the depression of the brush 1t) and the downward swinging of theframe 11 being, however, relatively slight.

Upon such depression of the rotary brush 10 and down- Ward swinging ofthe frame 11 the electric motor 18 is automatically energized-in themanner hereinafter de scribed-whereby the then rotated brush 10positively and efiectively cleans the under side of the shoe bearing onsuch brush upon to and fro movement of said shoe.

The aforementioned automatic energization of the electric motor 18 isaccomplished in the following manner:

An electric cord 25 extends through a grommet 26 in one side 3 ofhousing 1, and said cordat its outer end-is fitted with a conventionalplug 27 adapted for engagement in an outlet socket. Within the housing 1the cord is divided into separate wires 28 and 29 which lead into theelectric motor 18, as at 30. (See FIG. 5.)

A micro-switch 31 is interposed in the wire 29 and such switch ismounted, within the housing, on the side wall 3 corresponding toand at apoint above-the side arm 13. A switch control finger 32 extendslengthwise above the side arm 13; one end of said finger being securd tothe switch 32, while the other and free end of said finger carries aroller 33 which rides the top of said side arm 13.

When the swing frame 11 is in its raised position the finger 32 holdsthe switch 31 open, but upon depression of the rotary brush 10, andresultant downward swinging of said frame 11, the finger 32 likewiselowers and the switch 31 opens; thus automatically energizing theelectric motor 18.

In certain instances it may be desired that the electric motor 18 beplaced in continuous operation, and without depression of the rotarybrush 10. This is accomplished by means of a manual switch 34 mounted onthe back Patented May 8, 1962- of housing 1, and which switch includesan exteriorly accessible switch lever 35. The manual switch 34 isconnected in parallel to the switch 31 by branch wires 36 and 37.

In order to maintain the endless belt 23 under proper tension, belttightener 38 is .adjustably mounted on the side arm 14 and rides inengagement with the upper run of saidbelt.

The housing 1 immediately to the rear of the rotary brush 1%) is fitted,on the inside, with a transversely ex tending, vertically arcuate guard39 which extends from the top 2 to a point adjacent but short of thefloor; such guard being cut away at the ends to clear the side arms 13and 14, as well as the endless belt 23.

With the simple expedient of a wearer stepping on the rotary brush 1%,the device is automatically placed in operation and with rotation ofsuch brush all dust, dirt, or other debris on the under side of the shoeis swept off, and without any effort on the part of the wearer otherthan movement of the shoe to and fro.

After the shoes of the wearer have been cleaned, and the rotary brush isrelieved of the depression hereinbefore described, such brush-as well asthe swing frame 11returns, under the influence of spring 24, to normalraised position, and at which time the side arm 14 abuts an adjustablestop screw 40. The switch 31 is then held open and motor 18 is idle.

A modification of the above described shoe sole cleaner is illustratedin FIGS. 6 and 7; the primary difference in the modification being thatthe rotary brush is direct driven from the electric motor.

More particularly, in the modification the housing 41 is transverselyelongated, but reduced in dimension from front to rear, whereby theelectric motor 42 can be disposed in end to end axial alinement with therotary brush 43; such brushas beforehaving an upper portion whichextends through and projects above an opening 44 in a forwardly anddownwardly sloping front portion 45 of housing 41.

The electric motor 42 and the rotary brush 43 are supported, withinhousing 41, by a substantially U-shaped swing frame, indicated generallyat 46, which is generally the same as in the previously describedembodiment, and

likewise pivoted, as at 47, for downward swinging movement from anormally raised position and against th influence of a tension spring48.

The frame 46 includes a rear cross bar 49 and forwardly extending sidearms 50 and 51. Here, however, the forward portion of the side arm 50 isbent at a right angle to form a bracket 52 to which the electric motor42 is secured by screws 53. The rotary brush 43 includes a shaft 54whose outer end is journaled on the side arm 51, while at its inner endthe shaft 54 is connected to the shaft 55 of electric motor 42 by acoupling 56.

In the modification of FIGS. 6 and 7 the energizing circuit for theelectric motor is not shown, except for the exterior portion of the cord57 with its plug 58, but

is the same as employed in the previously described em-- bodiment; suchcircuit, as before, having therein a micro switch 59 responsive todownward swinging movement of the side arm 51), and a manual switch 60.

The modification of the invention as in FIGS. 6 and- 7 functions in thesame manner as in said previously described embodiment.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there hasbeen produced such a device as will sub-- stantially fulfill the objectsof the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to asdo not form a departure from the spirit ofthe invention,- as defined by the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new anduseful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

An electric motor driven device, for cleaning the under side of a shoe,comprising a housing including a top having an opening therein, ahorizontal axis rotary brush in the housing, an upper portion of thebrush extending through and being exposed above said top opening, aframe in the housing including side arms on and adjacent one end ofwhich the brush is journaled, means pivotally mounting the frame in thehousing adjacent the other end of the arms for downward yieldingmovement of the arms from a normally raised position, an electric motormounted on the frame and operatively connected to the brush, a circuitfor the motor, a switch interposed in the circuit and mounted in thehousing above one side arm and including a vertically movable dependingactuating element overlying and spaced from said arm, said element whenin a raised position holding the switch open and when lowered allowingthe switch to close, and a spring finger extending lengthwise of andover said side arm; said finger being fixed at one end separate from thearm and projecting thence away from the pivoted end of the frame andinto contact with said arm, the finger tending to spring down and awayfrom said element and being held by the arm against said element whensaid arm is in a raised position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS965,176 Geraldson July 26, 1910 1,277,834 Berdar Sept. 3, 1918 1,361,068Karre Dec. 7, 1920 1,420,375 Gales June 20, 1922 1,567,693 Allen et alDec. 29, 1925 2,427,768 Edington Sept. 23, 1947 2,826,772 Smith Mar. 18,1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 163,235 Switzerland Oct. 2, 1933 732,715 GreatBritain June 29, 1955;.

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